Method and System for Rating a Player&#39;s Performance in Pressure Situations

ABSTRACT

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method for rating a player&#39;s performance in pressure situations. The method includes receiving information about situations associated with a player from at least one information source. The method determines whether the situations are pressure situations based upon fan participation. Using the information from pressure situations, the method calculates at least one pressure situation statistic for the player. The pressure situation statistic is then communicated to a fan.

PRIORITY

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/876,950, filed on May 18, 2020, and naming Robin Miller asinventor, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/817,343, filed on Jun. 17, 2010, issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,657,493,and naming Robin Miller as inventor, which claims the benefit of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 61/218,022, filed Jun. 17, 2009. All threeapplications are incorporated herein, in their entireties, by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to, and more particularly to methods andsystems for calculating statistics.

BACKGROUND

It was known in the baseball prior art to use statistics to summarize aplayer's performance and attempt to measure a player's value. One ofthese statistics is referred to as the batting average. The battingaverage can be obtained by dividing a player's hits by the total numberof at bat situations. Accordingly, a player with a 0.400 batting averagehas hit the ball 4 times for every 10 at bat situations. Although thebatting average statistic provides some insight into the batting skillsof the player, it does not provide any insight as to the importance orvalue of the hits to baseball fans. For example, although a first playermight have a relatively low batting average, many of his hits may havebeen important game winning hits. Therefore, the value of this firstplayer may be more than that of a second player with a higher battingaverage. The batting average statistic fails to account for hits duringsuch important pressure situations.

SUMMARY

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to amethod for rating a baseball player's performance in pressuresituations. The method includes receiving information about at batsituations associated with a player from at least one informationsource. The method determines whether the at bat situations are pressureat bat situations based upon baseball fan participation. Using theinformation from pressure at bat situations, the method calculates atleast one pressure situation statistic for the player. The pressuresituation statistic is then communicated to a baseball fan.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pressure statistic is a pressureaverage. In the pressure average embodiment, calculating the pressuresituation statistic for the player further includes determining whetherthe player positively contributed during each of his pressure at batsituations and tabulating total positive contributions. The method alsoincludes determining the pressure average by comparing the totalpositive contributions to the total pressure at bat situations for theplayer.

In another exemplary embodiment, the pressure statistic is a pressurerating. In such an embodiment, the method includes receiving a pluralityof fan ratings for at bat situations associated with the player. Theinformation about the plurality of at bat situations includes the inningassociated with each at bat situation. The pressure rating is calculatedby averaging the plurality of fan ratings for each pressure at batsituation and determining a product for each pressure at bat situationby multiplying the average fan rating for each at bat situation by aninning rating factor. The inning rating factor is based, at least inpart, on the inning associated with the at bat situation. The pressurerating is then calculated by summing the products for each pressure atbat situation.

In yet another illustrative embodiment, the pressure statistic is apressure predictor. In the pressure predictor embodiment, the methodincludes receiving at least one fan prediction for an at bat situation.The fan prediction predicts whether a player will contribute positivelyor negatively during the at bat situation. The pressure predictor iscalculated by determining whether the player contributed positively ornegatively during the at bat situation associated with the at least onefan prediction. The method further includes determining whether the atleast one fan prediction is correct and tabulating a total number ofcorrect fan predictions. The pressure predictor is calculated bydividing the total number of correct fan predictions by a total numberof fan predictions.

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are also directed to anon-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions forrating a baseball player's performance in pressure situations, whichwhen loaded on at least one computer, establish processes that includereceiving information about at bat situations associated with a playerfrom at least one information source. The media also includes processesfor determining whether the at bat situations are pressure at batsituations based upon baseball fan participation. Using the informationfrom pressure at bat situations, the at least one pressure situationstatistic is calculated for the player. The pressure situation statisticis then communicated to a baseball fan.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pressure statistic is a pressureaverage. In the pressure average embodiment, calculating the pressuresituation statistic for the player further includes determining whetherthe player positively contributed during each of his pressure at batsituations and tabulating total positive contributions. The media alsoincludes processes for determining the pressure average by comparing thetotal positive contributions to the total pressure at bat situations forthe player.

In another exemplary embodiment, the pressure statistic is a pressurerating. In such an embodiment, the media includes processes forreceiving a plurality of fan ratings for at bat situations associatedwith the player. The information about the plurality of at batsituations includes the inning associated with each at bat situation.The pressure rating is calculated by averaging the plurality of fanratings for each pressure at bat situation and determining a product foreach pressure at bat situation by multiplying the average fan rating foreach at bat situation by an inning rating factor. The inning ratingfactor is based, at least in part, on the inning associated with the atbat situation. The pressure rating is then calculated by summing theproducts for each pressure at bat situation.

In yet another illustrative embodiment, the pressure statistic is apressure predictor. In the pressure predictor embodiment, the mediaincludes processes for receiving at least one fan prediction for an atbat situation. The fan prediction predicts whether a player willcontribute positively or negatively during the at bat situation. Thepressure predictor is calculated by determining whether the playercontributed positively or negatively during the at bat situationassociated with the at least one fan prediction. The media furtherincludes processes for determining whether the at least one fanprediction is correct and tabulating a total number of correct fanpredictions. The pressure predictor is calculated by dividing the totalnumber of correct fan predictions by a total number of fan predictions.

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are also directed to asystem for rating a baseball player's performance in pressuresituations. The system includes a processor and a memory storinginstructions executable by the processor to perform processes thatinclude receiving information about at bat situations associated with aplayer from at least one information source. The memory also includesprocesses for determining whether the at bat situations are pressure atbat situations based upon baseball fan participation. Using theinformation from pressure at bat situations, the at least one pressuresituation statistic for the player is calculated. The pressure situationstatistic is then communicated to a baseball fan.

In one exemplary embodiment, the pressure statistic is a pressureaverage. In the pressure average embodiment, calculating the pressuresituation statistic for the player further includes determining whetherthe player positively contributed during each of his pressure at batsituations and tabulating total positive contributions. The memory alsoincludes processes for determining the pressure average by comparing thetotal positive contributions to the total pressure at bat situations forthe player.

In another exemplary embodiment, the pressure statistic is a pressurerating. In such an embodiment, the memory includes processes forreceiving a plurality of fan ratings for at bat situations associatedwith the player. The information about the plurality of at batsituations includes the inning associated with each at bat situation.The pressure rating is calculated by averaging the plurality of fanratings for each pressure at bat situation and determining a product foreach pressure at bat situation by multiplying the average fan rating foreach at bat situation by an inning rating factor. The inning ratingfactor is based, at least in part, on the inning associated with the atbat situation. The pressure rating is then calculated by summing theproducts for each pressure at bat situation.

In yet another illustrative embodiment, the pressure statistic is apressure predictor. In the pressure predictor embodiment, the memoryincludes processes for receiving at least one fan prediction for an atbat situation. The fan prediction predicts whether a player willcontribute positively or negatively during the at bat situation. Thepressure predictor is calculated by determining whether the playercontributed positively or negatively during the at bat situationassociated with the at least one fan prediction. The memory furtherincludes processes for determining whether the at least one fanprediction is correct and tabulating a total number of correct fanpredictions. The pressure predictor is calculated by dividing the totalnumber of correct fan predictions by a total number of fan predictions.

In some or all of the above described embodiments, the pressure at batsituations are defined by fantasy baseball participants. Additionally oralternatively, the positive pressure contributions are defined byfantasy baseball participants. Furthermore, the fan ratings are fromfantasy baseball participants.

In some or all of the above described embodiments, the pressurepredictor is specific to a particular baseball fan. In otherembodiments, the pressure predictor is specific to a particular baseballplayer. Also, in exemplary embodiments, the at least one fan predictionis from a fantasy baseball participant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understoodby reference to the following detailed description, taken with referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a method for rating a baseball player's performance inpressure situations, in accordance with one embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a system for rating a baseballplayer's performance in pressure situations, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are directed to amethod and system for calculating a set of statistics and ratings thatreveal the performance of a baseball player in pressure situations. Insome embodiments, the statistics and ratings are determined usingpredetermined parameters, baseball fan voting, and/or fantasy baseballfan voting. Illustrative embodiments of the present invention include apressure average statistic and a league pressure average, which helpdefine the value of a baseball player in pressure situations. Otherembodiments of the present invention include a pressure rating and aleague pressure rating, which define the positive and negativecontributions of a baseball player in pressure situations. Someembodiments of the present invention may include a pressure predictorand a league pressure predictor, which define the likelihood of abaseball player producing a positive contribution in pressuresituations.

FIG. 1 shows a method for rating a baseball player's performance inpressure situations 100, in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. In illustrative embodiments the method is implementedusing a processor 202, which is shown in FIG. 2 as part of a system 200,in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In someembodiments, the processor 102 may be a server which is in communicationwith a computer network such as the Internet.

The method 100 further includes receiving information about at batsituations associated with a player from an information source 102. Inexemplary embodiments, the processor 202 receives information over theInternet from one or more information sources. For example, theprocessor 202 may receive information from a variety of differentinformation sources, including, but not limited to:

-   -   MLB.com Gameday    -   Baseball Game Statistics Providers    -   Social Networking Sites        -   Facebook        -   Twitter    -   Interactive TV    -   Mobile Phones    -   SMS Text Messages    -   Telephones    -   Websites    -   Fantasy Baseball Operators        -   Yahoo!        -   Fantasy Sports Ventures        -   ESPN.com        -   MLB.com    -   League Manager Systems        -   Rhino Software        -   Fanball.com    -   Major League Baseball (MLB)    -   Baseball Game Statistical Providers    -   Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)    -   STATS    -   The Sports Network (TSN)    -   Other automated data collection and voting mechanisms

In some embodiments, the information is received over the Internet froma remote information source. In other embodiments, however, theinformation is received from a local information source such as a memorydevice in communication with the server or the memory device within theserver itself.

Once the information about the at bat situations is received, the method100 determines whether the at bat situations are pressure at batsituations based at least in part on baseball fan participation 104.Using the pressure at bat situations, the processor 202 then calculatesat least one pressure situation statistic for the player 106. Thepressure situation statistic may be one of a pressure average, leaguepressure average, pressure rating, league pressure rating, pressurepredictor, and/or league pressure predictor as described below. Once thepressure situation statistic is calculated, it is communicated to abaseball fan 108. The term “baseball fan” is inclusive of partiesinterested in baseball such as people who watch baseball, fantasybaseball participants, baseball players, coaches, and Major LeagueBaseball (MLB) itself. The pressure situation statistics may becommunicated to the baseball fan by simply displaying the pressurestatistic on a display of a monitor. In exemplary embodiments, thepressure situation statistics is communicated to the baseball fan via anumber of different media such as the Internet, television, and/or hardcopy media (e.g., newspapers and magazines). In some embodiments, theprocessor 202 may communicate pressure situation statistics to thebaseball fan by communicating them back to the source from which itreceived information (e.g. the information source can be considered abaseball fan). In exemplary embodiments of the present invention,pressure situation statistics may be communicated to any one of theinformation sources listed above. In some cases, the pressure situationstatistics may be delivered via a web service or an ApplicationProgramming Interface (API).

In illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the processor 202is programmed to calculate at least one pressure situation statistic. Inone embodiment, the processor 202 calculates a pressure average. Thepressure average may be defined by the following formula:

Pressure Average=Number of PPCs÷Number of PABs

PAB stands for “pressure at bat.” In some exemplary embodiments, apressure at bat situation occurs for a baseball player's at bat(commonly referred to by baseball statisticians as the “AB”) when theplayer's team is in a tied ballgame in a certain inning and/or when theplayer's team is behind by a certain number of runs in any inning. Inother embodiments, a pressure at bat may be defined differently. Inadditional or alternative embodiments, whether or not a pressure at batsituation occurs for a baseball player's at bat may depend on baseballfan participation. For example, baseball fans may vote to determinewhether an at bat is a pressure at bat situation via, among otherthings, the Internet and fantasy baseball leagues. If ≥80% of baseballfans who vote deem the at bat to be a pressure situation, then theprocessor 202 classifies the at bat as a pressure at bat situation. Inother embodiments, other standards could be used for qualifying pressureat bat situations. For example, ≥50%, 75%, or 95% might be necessary toqualify the at bat as a pressure at bat situation. The vote may be asimple “yes” or “no” as to whether the at bat situation qualifies as apressure situation. A pressure at bat situation that is qualifiedthrough voting may be referred to as a voted pressure at bat situation(VPAB). The votes may be received by the processor 202 through, forexample, interactive television and/or a website. Votes may be collectedfrom baseball fans, fantasy baseball participants, and/or others partiesinterested in baseball. In some embodiments, the processor 202 receivesand tallies the votes. In other embodiments, the information sourcesdescribed above may be used to compile and/or count votes and theprocessor 202 receives the compilation and/or count from the informationsource. In additional or alternative embodiments, votes may be gatheredand received from the following non-limiting list of informationsources:

-   -   MLB.com Gameday    -   Internet Websites    -   Facebook    -   Twitter    -   Interactive Cable TV    -   Mobile phones/SMS text message    -   Landline phones    -   Other automated data collection and voting mechanisms

With respect to the above stated formula, PPC stands for “positivepressure contribution.” In exemplary embodiments, a positive pressurecontribution occurs when any one of the following results from a PAB: awalk, single, double, triple, home run or grand slam, sacrifice bunt,sacrifice fly, fielder's choice which advances a runner or scores a run,intentional walk, and hit by pitch. Illustrative embodiments of thepresent invention may define the PPC differently. For example, in someembodiments, a PPC occurs only if a runner scores. Irrespective of themanner a PPC is defined, the pressure average is the total number ofPPCs compared to the total number of PABs. For example, if a player hasa total of 25 pressure at bat situations over the season and he has atotal of 10 pressure at bat contributions from those situations, thenhis pressure average is 0.40, or 40%, for the season.

In illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the processor 202may additionally or alternatively be programmed to calculate a leaguepressure average (LPA). The league pressure average may be defined bythe following formula:

League Pressure Average=Number of LPPCs÷Number of LPABs

LPAB in the formula stands for “league pressure at bat.” In illustrativeembodiments of the present invention, the league pressure at bat isdefined by fantasy baseball participants (e.g., fantasy baseball teammanagers, fantasy baseball fans, fantasy baseball organizers and/orfantasy baseball operators). For example, in some embodiments, a leaguepressure at bat situation occurs for a baseball player's at bat when theplayer's team is in a tied ballgame in the Wth inning or later, or whenthe player's team is behind by X-Y runs in any inning. In alternative oradditional embodiments, the at bat may be classified as an LPAB if ≥Z %of fantasy baseball participants who vote deem the at bat to be apressure situation. The variables W, X, Y and Z are uniquely set byfantasy baseball participants for a number of different fantasy leagues.The variables may be received by the processor 202 from the fantasybaseball operators and/or from fantasy league websites, such as Yahoo!and Fantasy Sports Ventures. In this manner, exemplary embodiments ofthe LPA take into account baseball fan participation.

LPPC in the formula stands for “league positive pressure contribution.”In illustrative embodiments, the league positive pressure contributionis defined by at least one of the fantasy baseball participants. Forexample, the fantasy baseball participants may select one or more of thefollowing as league positive pressure contributions: a walk, single,double, triple, home run or grand slam, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly,fielder's choice which advances a runner or scores a run, intentionalwalk, and/or hit by pitch. Therefore, the league pressure averagestatistic is similar to pressure average in that they both define thetotal number of positive contributions compared to the total number ofpressure situations over a period of time.

In illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the processor 202may additionally or alternatively be programmed to calculate a pressurerating (PR). In exemplary embodiments, the pressure rating is calculatedand updated for a particular player throughout the season. The pressurerating depends on votes collected from baseball fans, fantasy baseballparticipants, and others. The pressure rating is a summation of theinning rating multiplied by the average fan rating for each pressure atbat situation in which a baseball player participates. As explainedabove, the voting may be received by the processor 202 from, forexample, the baseball fan's mobile phone via a text message or the votemay come from a website. The pressure rating may be defined by thefollowing formula and table:

Pressure Rating=aA+bB+cC+dD+eE+fF+gG+hH+iI+jJ+kK+lL+mM+nN

Inning Average Fan Inning Rating Rating  1 a A  2 b B  3 c C  4 d D  5 eE  6 f F  7 g G  8 h H  9 i I 10 j J 11 k K   12+ l, m, n . . . L, M, N. . .

In the above table, the inning rating is a scoring factor assigned toeach inning of a baseball game which expresses the increased value of abaseball player's performance as the game draws closer to the end. Forexample, in some embodiments, inning 1 may be assigned a factor of one,inning 2 may be assigned a factor of two, inning 3 may be assigned afactor of three, and so on. Typically, innings after the 9th inning willhave the highest assigned factors. In other embodiments, however, theinning rating may be calculated from a unique combination of baseballfan voting information and information from other information sources.For example, a voter may place a general value/scoring factor on eachinning in a baseball game which expresses the increased value of abaseball player's performance as the game draws closer to the end. Inother words, voters may assign a value between, for example, 1 through20 for each inning of a baseball game. Such voting may be factored inwith other variables and voting information to define the final inningrating.

In the above table, the average fan rating is calculated by taking theaverage of the individual fan rating votes for each at bat situation fora particular player. In various embodiments, the voting for the at batsituation only has an impact on the pressure rating if the at batsituation is a pressure at bat situation. For example, if ≥80% ofbaseball fans who vote deem the at bat to be a pressure situation(VPAB), then the fan voting for that particular situation has an impacton the player's pressure rating. If <80% of baseball fans who vote deemthe at bat to be a pressure situation, then the average fan rating forthat at bat situation is zero (“0”) and that particular at bat situationdoes not have an impact on the pressure rating. In some exemplaryembodiments, the fan rating vote may be selected from a scale of −10 to10. In this way, the fan determines the value of the outcome of thepressure at bat situation. For example, if the player scores a grandslam, the fan may vote a 10, whereas, if the player is walked, the fanmay only vote a value of 3. However, if a player strikes out, the fanmay vote a value of −5. In this manner, the pressure rating helps definebaseball fans' opinions of a player's performance in pressuresituations.

In illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the processor 202may additionally or alternatively be programmed to calculate a leaguepressure rating (LPR). The league inning rating is multiplied by theleague rating for each pressure at bat situation. The league pressurerating is based on league ratings from fantasy baseball participants. Inthis manner, the league pressure rating helps define fantasy baseballparticipants' opinions of a player's performance in pressure situations.

League Inning League Inning Rating Rating  1 a A  2 b B  3 c C  4 d D  5e E  6 f F  7 g G  8 h H  9 i I 10 j J 11 k K   12+ l, m, n . . . L, M,N . . .

The league pressure rating is defined according to the following formulaand table:

League Pressure Rating=aA+bB+cC+dD+eE+fF+gG+hH+iI+jJ+kK+lL+mM+nN

indicates data missing or illegible when filedLike the inning rating, the league inning rating in the table above is ascoring factor assigned to each inning of a baseball game whichexpresses the increased value of a baseball player's performance as thegame draws closer to the end. The league inning rating may be obtainedin a similar manner to the inning rating. For example, in illustrativeembodiments, the league inning rating is based on a value/scoring factorassigned by fantasy baseball participants.

The league rating in the table is typically obtained based on votingfrom fantasy baseball participants. The league rating may be obtained bytaking an average of the individual fan rating votes for each pressureat bat situation for a particular player. In illustrative embodiments,an at bat situation is defined as a pressure at bat situation when ≥Z %of fantasy baseball participants who vote deem the particular at bat tobe a pressure situation. If <Z % of fantasy baseball participants whovote deem the at bat to be a pressure situation, then the league ratingfor that at bat is zero (“0”) and the player's league rating isunaffected by that particular at bat. The value of Z is set by fantasybaseball participants.

In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the leaguerating is obtained using a league positive pressure contribution rating(LPPCR) and/or a league negative pressure contribution rating (LNPCR).The LPPCR and LNPCR are assigned scoring factors for at bat situations.A league positive pressure contribution rating (LPPCR) is defined by atleast one fantasy baseball participant. The fantasy baseballparticipants may select and assign a particular scoring factor for eachone of the following possible results of a league pressure at batsituation: a walk, single, double, triple, home run or grand slam,sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, fielder's choice which advances a runneror scores a run, intentional walk, and/or hit by pitch. For example, ahome run may be assigned a value of 8 on a scale from 1 to 10. Thus, ifPlayer A's first pressure at bat situation comes in the second inning ofthe first game of the season and Player A scores a home run, then hisleague positive pressure contribution rating is an 8 for that particularat bat situation. Further, if the league inning rating for the secondinning is 2, then Player A's league pressure rating for the season is16.

A league negative pressure contribution rating (LNPCR) is also definedby the fantasy baseball participants. The fantasy baseball participantsmay select and assign a particular scoring factor for each one of thefollowing possible results of a league pressure at bat situation: astrike out, ground out which does not advance the runner or score a run,fly out which does not advance the runner or score a run, fielder'schoice which does not advance a runner or score a run, and/or groundinto double play or ground into triple play.

For example, a strike out may be assigned a value −8 on a scale from −1to −10. Thus, if, later in the fifth inning, Player A strikes out duringhis second pressure at bat situation, then the league negative pressurecontribution rating is a −8 for that particular at bat situation. If thefifth inning has a league inning rating of 5, then Player A's leaguerating for the season is −24 (e.g., −40 from second pressure at batsituation summed with 16 from first pressure at bat situation).

In other exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the leaguerating is determined by using a combination of fan voting and assignedscoring factors. For example, 50% of the league rating is derived fromthe LPPCR and the other 50% is derived from the fan ratings.

In illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the processor 202may additionally or alternatively be programmed to calculate a pressurepredictor (PP). The pressure predictor is a statistic that rates theaccuracy of a particular baseball fan's pressure predictions. Inexemplary embodiments, the pressure predictor may also rate thepredictability of a player in pressure situations. The pressurepredictor may be defined by the following formula:

Pressure Predictor=(Number of Correct PAB Predictions)÷(Number of TotalPAB Predictions)

A PAB prediction occurs when a baseball fan votes whether the baseballplayer will (‘yes’) or will not (‘no’) produce a positive pressurecontribution (PPC) during a PAB. In other words, the baseball fan votesthat the baseball player will either produce a positive pressurecontribution or a negative pressure contribution (NPC). The predictionscan be received by the processor 202 in a similar fashion to other fanvotes on, for example, pressure situations. As explained above, inexemplary embodiments, a positive pressure contribution occurs when anyof the following results from a PAB situation: a walk, single, double,triple, home run or grand slam, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly, fielder'schoice which advances a runner or scores a run, intentional walk, andhit by pitch. In exemplary embodiments, a negative pressure contribution(NPC) occurs when any of the following results from a pressure at batsituation: a strike out, ground out which does not advance the runner orscore a run, fly out which does not advance the runner or score a run,fielder's choice which does not advance a runner or score a run, and/orground into double play or ground into triple play.

Irrespective of how a PPC and NPC are defined, the pressure predictorstatistic compares the total number of correct PAB predictions to thetotal number of PAB predictions. A correct prediction occurs, forexample, when a fan votes that a player will produce a positive pressurecontribution and the baseball player scores a grand slam. An incorrectprediction occurs, for example, when a fan votes that a player willproduce a positive pressure contribution and the baseball player strikesout. In various embodiments, the pressure predictor can be specific to aparticular baseball fan. For example, if a fan predicts 15 PPCscorrectly out of a total of 20 predictions, then his pressure predictoris 0.75, or 75%. In this manner, the pressure predictor rates theaccuracy of a particular baseball fan's pressure predictions. In otherembodiments, however, the pressure predictor may be specific to aparticular baseball player. For example, if a group of baseball fansmade 50 total predictions specific to a baseball player, and only 10 ofthose were correct, then the baseball player's pressure predictor is0.20, or 20%. In this manner, the pressure predictor rates thepredictability of a particular player in pressure situations.

In illustrative embodiments of the present invention, the processor 202may additionally or alternatively be programmed to calculate a leaguepressure predictor (LPP). The league pressure predictor is similar tothe pressure predictor, however, the league pressure predictor is moreparticular in that illustrative embodiments of the league pressurepredictor rate the accuracy of a fantasy baseball participant's pressurepredictions. In other exemplary embodiments, the league pressurepredictor may also rate the predictability of a player in pressuresituations based on fantasy baseball participants' predictions. Theleague pressure predictor may be defined by the following formula:

League Pressure Predictor=(Number of Correct LPAB predictions)÷(Numberof Total LPAB predictions)

A LPAB prediction occurs when a fantasy baseball participant voteswhether the baseball player will (‘yes’) or will not (‘no’) produce apositive pressure contribution (LPPC) during a LPAB. In other words, thefantasy baseball participant votes that the baseball player will eitherproduce a positive pressure contribution or a negative pressurecontribution (LNPC). In exemplary embodiments, the LPPC and LNPC aredefined by the fantasy baseball participants. For example, fantasybaseball participants may define a LPPC as any one of: a walk, single,double, triple, home run or grand slam, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly,fielder's choice which advances a runner or scores a run, intentionalwalk, and hit by pitch. In illustrative embodiments, fantasy baseballparticipants may define a LNPC as any one of a: a strike out, ground outwhich does not advance the runner or score a run, fly out which does notadvance the runner or score a run, fielder's choice which does notadvance a runner or score a run, and/or ground into double play orground into triple play.

Irrespective of how the LPPC and LNPC are defined, the league pressurepredictor (LPP) statistic compares the total number of correct LPABpredictions to the total number of LPAB predictions. A correctprediction occurs, for example, when a fantasy baseball participantvotes that a player will produce a negative pressure contribution andthe baseball player strikes out. An incorrect prediction occurs, forexample, when a fantasy baseball participant votes that a player willproduce a negative pressure contribution and the baseball player scoresa home run. In various embodiments, the league pressure predictor can bespecific to a particular fantasy baseball participant. For example, if afantasy baseball participant predicts 20 PPCs correctly out of a totalof 40 predictions, then his pressure predictor is 0.50, or 50%. In thismanner, the league pressure predictor rates the accuracy of a particularfantasy baseball participant's pressure predictions. In otherembodiments, however, the league pressure predictor may be specific to aparticular baseball player. For example, if a number of fantasy baseballparticipants made 200 total predictions specific to a baseball player,and 120 of those were correct, then the baseball player's pressurepredictor is 0.60, or 60%. In this manner, the league pressure predictorrates the predictability of a particular player in pressure situations.

A number of different baseball fans may find illustrative embodiments ofthe present invention advantageous. For example, illustrativeembodiments of the present invention help baseball fans define howvaluable their favorite players are and, likewise, how inept theirdespised players are in pressure situations. Baseball fans may also beable to define what a pressure situation is and show how accurate theyare in predicting whether a player will succeed or fail in a pressuresituation. Other baseball fans, such as Major League Baseball (MLB)itself, baseball players, and their agents, may be able toadvantageously measure the intangible value of being a “pressure hitter”for use in contract negotiations.

Illustrative embodiments of the present invention also allow fantasybaseball participants to track and rate player performance in pressuresituations. Furthermore, illustrative embodiments of the presentinvention allow fantasy baseball operators to offer tracking and ratingof player performance in pressure situations as a new way to attractmore managers/participants and/or to keep existing managers/participantsengaged throughout the season and post-season. Similarly, illustrativeembodiments of the present invention may allow MLB to offer baseballfans tracking and rating of player performance in pressure situations asa new way to attract more fans and to keep existing fans engagedthroughout the season and post-season.

It should be noted that terms such as “processor” and “server” may beused herein to describe devices that may be used in certain embodimentsof the present invention and should not be construed to limit thepresent invention to any particular device type or system unless thecontext otherwise requires. Thus, a system may include, withoutlimitation, a client, server, computer, appliance, or other type ofdevice. Such devices typically include one or more network interfacesfor communicating over a communication network and a processor (e.g., amicroprocessor with memory and other peripherals and/orapplication-specific hardware) configured accordingly to perform deviceand/or system functions. Communication networks generally may includepublic and/or private networks; may include local-area, wide-area,metropolitan-area, storage, and/or other types of networks; and mayemploy communication technologies including, but in no way limited to,analog technologies, digital technologies, optical technologies,wireless technologies, networking technologies, and internetworkingtechnologies.

It should also be noted that devices may use communication protocols andmessages (e.g., messages created, transmitted, received, stored, and/orprocessed by the system), and such messages may be conveyed by acommunication network or medium. Unless the context otherwise requires,the present invention should not be construed as being limited to anyparticular communication message type, communication message format, orcommunication protocol. Thus, a communication message generally mayinclude, without limitation, a frame, packet, datagram, user datagram,cell, or other type of communication message. Unless the contextrequires otherwise, references to specific communication protocols areexemplary, and it should be understood that alternative embodiments may,as appropriate, employ variations of such communication protocols (e.g.,modifications or extensions of the protocol that may be made fromtime-to-time) or other protocols either known or developed in thefuture.

It should also be noted that logic flows may be described herein todemonstrate various aspects of the invention, and should not beconstrued to limit the present invention to any particular logic flow orlogic implementation. The described logic may be partitioned intodifferent logic blocks (e.g., programs, modules, interfaces, functions,or subroutines) without changing the overall results or otherwisedeparting from the true scope of the invention. Often times, logicelements may be added, modified, omitted, performed in a differentorder, or implemented using different logic constructs (e.g., logicgates, looping primitives, conditional logic, and other logicconstructs) without changing the overall results or otherwise departingfrom the true scope of the invention.

The present invention may be embodied in many different forms,including, but in no way limited to, computer program logic for use witha processor (e.g., a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signalprocessor, or general purpose computer), programmable logic for use witha programmable logic device (e.g., a Field Programmable Gate Array(FPGA) or other PLD), discrete components, integrated circuitry (e.g.,an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC)), or any other meansincluding any combination thereof. In a typical embodiment of thepresent invention, predominantly all of the described logic isimplemented as a set of computer program instructions that is convertedinto a computer executable form, stored as such in a computer readablemedium, and executed by a microprocessor under the control of anoperating system.

Computer program logic implementing all or part of the functionalitypreviously described herein may be embodied in various forms, including,but in no way limited to, a source code form, a computer executableform, and various intermediate forms (e.g., forms generated by anassembler, compiler, linker, or locator). Source code may include aseries of computer program instructions implemented in any of variousprogramming languages (e.g., an object code, an assembly language, or ahigh-level language such as Fortran, C, C++, JAVA, or HTML) for use withvarious operating systems or operating environments. The source code maydefine and use various data structures and communication messages. Thesource code may be in a computer executable form (e.g., via aninterpreter), or the source code may be converted (e.g., via atranslator, assembler, or compiler) into a computer executable form.

The computer program may be fixed in any form (e.g., source code form,computer executable form, or an intermediate form) either permanently ortransitorily in a tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductormemory device (e.g., a RAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, or Flash-ProgrammableRAM), a magnetic memory device (e.g., a diskette or fixed disk), anoptical memory device (e.g., a CD-ROM), a PC card (e.g., PCMCIA card),or other memory device. The computer program may be fixed in any form ina signal that is transmittable to a computer using any of variouscommunication technologies, including, but in no way limited to, analogtechnologies, digital technologies, optical technologies, wirelesstechnologies, networking technologies, and internetworking technologies.The computer program may be distributed in any form as a removablestorage medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation(e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g.,on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronicbulletin board over the communication system (e.g., the Internet orWorld Wide Web).

Hardware logic (including programmable logic for use with a programmablelogic device) implementing all or part of the functionality previouslydescribed herein may be designed using traditional manual methods, ormay be designed, captured, simulated, or documented electronically usingvarious tools, such as Computer Aided Design (CAD), a hardwaredescription language (e.g., VHDL or AHDL), or a PLD programming language(e.g., PALASM, ABEL, or CUPL).

Programmable logic may be fixed either permanently or transitorily in atangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory device (e.g., aRAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, or Flash-Programmable RAM), a magnetic memorydevice (e.g., a diskette or fixed disk), an optical memory device (e.g.,a CD-ROM), or other memory device. The programmable logic may be fixedin a signal that is transmittable to a computer using any of variouscommunication technologies, including, but in no way limited to, analogtechnologies, digital technologies, optical technologies, wirelesstechnologies (e.g., Bluetooth), networking technologies, andinternetworking technologies. The programmable logic may be distributedas a removable storage medium with accompanying printed or electronicdocumentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computersystem (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a serveror electronic bulletin board over the communication system (e.g., theInternet or World Wide Web). Of course, some embodiments of theinvention may be implemented as a combination of both software (e.g., acomputer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of theinvention are implemented as entirely hardware, or entirely software.

Although various exemplary embodiments of the invention have beendisclosed, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications may be made which will achieve some ofthe advantages of the invention without departing from the true scope ofthe invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing improved performancemetrics by rating a player's performance in pressure situations, themethod comprising: receiving, by a server over a computer network via aninterface from at least one information source, information about atleast one situation associated with a player, the interface configuredto receive the information from one or more of the following sources: a)game statistics provider devices, b) interactive TVs, c) mobile phones,d) text messages, e) telephones, f) websites, g) sporting organizationdevices, and h) fantasy sporting organization devices; receiving inreal-time, by the server from a plurality of user devices over thecomputer network, a plurality of fan ratings for the at least onesituation, each fan rating including (1) a rating whether the at leastone situation is a pressure situation and (2) a rating of a performanceof the player; in a first computer process executing on a processor ofthe server, comparing in real-time a percentage of fan ratings deemingthe at least one situation to be a pressure situation against athreshold to determine whether the at least one situation is a pressuresituation; in a second computer process executing on the processor ofthe server, if the at least one situation is determined to be a pressuresituation, updating in real-time at least one of (1) a pressure averageof the player based on a number of positive pressure contributions bythe player and a number of pressure situations associated with theplayer and (2) a pressure rating of the player based on a valuemultiplied by an average fan rating of the performance of the player foreach pressure situation; and communicating in real-time, by the serverover the computer network to a plurality of servers hosting websites andapplication services, the websites and application services configuredto be accessed by the plurality of user devices of the fans, at leastone of the updated pressure average or pressure rating if the at leastone situations is determined to be a pressure situation.
 2. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the pressure situation statistic is apressure average and wherein calculating at least one pressure situationstatistic for the player further comprises: determining, by theprocessor, for a plurality of pressure situations whether the playerpositively contributed during each of the plurality of pressuresituations and tabulating total positive contributions; and determining,by the processor, the pressure average by comparing the total positivecontributions to the total pressure situations for the player.
 3. Amethod according to claim 2, wherein pressure situations are defined byat least one fan.
 4. A method according to claim 2, wherein positivepressure contributions are defined by at least one fan.
 5. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the pressure situation statistic is apressure rating; and wherein calculating at least one pressure situationstatistic for the player further comprises: in a third computer processexecuting on the processor, averaging the plurality of fan ratings foreach pressure situation; in a fourth computer process executing on theprocessor, determining a product for each pressure situation bymultiplying the average fan rating for each situation by a ratingfactor, the rating factor based, at least in part, on the timing of thesituation; and in a fifth computer process executing on the processor,calculating the pressure rating by summing the products for eachpressure situation.
 6. A method according to claim 1, the methodcomprising: receiving, by the processor, at least one fan prediction foran situation, the at least one prediction predicting whether a playerwill contribute positively or negatively during the situation; whereinthe pressure situation statistic is a pressure predictor; whereincalculating at least one pressure situation statistic further comprises:in a third computer process executing on the processor, determiningwhether the player contributed positively or negatively during thesituation associated with the at least one fan prediction; in a fourthcomputer process executing on the processor, determining whether the atleast one fan prediction is correct and tabulating a total number ofcorrect fan predictions; and in a fifth computer process executing onthe processor, calculating a pressure predictor by dividing the totalnumber of correct fan predictions by a total number of fan predictions.7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the pressure predictor isspecific to a particular fan.
 8. A method according to claim 6, whereinthe pressure predictor is specific to a particular player.
 9. Anon-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions forproviding improved performance metrics by rating a player's performancein pressure situations, which when loaded on at least one server,establish processes, comprising: receiving, over a computer network viaan interface from at least one information source, information about atleast one situation associated with a player, the interface configuredto receive the information from one or more of the following sources: a)game statistics provider devices, b) interactive TVs, c) mobile phones,d) text messages, e) telephones, f) websites, g) sporting organizationdevices, and h) fantasy sporting organization devices; receiving inreal-time, from a plurality of user devices over the computer network, aplurality of fan ratings for the at least one situation, each fan ratingincluding (1) a rating whether the at least one situation is a pressuresituation and (2) a rating of a performance of the player; in a firstcomputer process of the server, comparing in real-time a percentage offan ratings deeming the at least one situation to be a pressuresituation against a threshold to determine whether the at least onesituation is a pressure situation; in a second computer process of theserver, if the at least one situations is determined to be a pressuresituation, updating in real-time at least one of (1) a pressure averageof the player based on a number of positive pressure contributions bythe player and a number of pressure situations associated with theplayer and (2) a pressure rating of the player based on a summation of avalue multiplied by an average fan rating of the performance of theplayer for each pressure situation; and communicating in real-time, overthe computer network to a plurality of servers hosting websites andapplication services, the websites and application services configuredto be accessed by the plurality of user devices of the fans, at leastone of the updated pressure average or pressure rating if the at leastone situations is determined to be a pressure situation.
 10. Anon-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, whereincalculating at least one pressure situation statistic for the playerfurther comprises: determining for a plurality of pressure situationswhether the player positively contributed during each of the pluralityof pressure situations and tabulating total positive contributions; anddetermining the pressure average by comparing the total positivecontributions to the total pressure situations for the player.
 11. Anon-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10, whereinpressure situations are defined by at least one fan.
 12. Anon-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 10, whereinpositive pressure contributions are defined by at least one fan.
 13. Anon-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 9, whereinthe pressure situation statistic is a pressure rating; and whereincalculating at least one pressure situation statistic for the playerfurther comprises: in a third computer process, averaging the pluralityof fan ratings for each pressure situation; in a fourth computerprocess, determining a product for each pressure situation bymultiplying the average fan rating for each situation by a timingfactor, the timing factor based, at least in part, on the timingassociated with the situation; and in a fifth computer process,calculating the pressure rating by summing the products for eachpressure situation.
 14. A non-transitory computer readable mediumaccording to claim 9, wherein the instructions establish processesfurther comprising: receiving at least one fan prediction for ansituation, the at least one prediction predicting whether a player willcontribute positively or negatively during the situation; wherein thepressure situation statistic is a pressure predictor; whereincalculating at least one pressure situation statistic further comprises:in a third computer process, determining whether the player contributedpositively or negatively during the situation associated with the atleast one fan prediction; in a fourth computer process, determiningwhether the at least one fan prediction is correct and tabulating atotal number of correct fan predictions; and in a fifth computerprocess, calculating a pressure predictor by dividing the total numberof correct fan predictions by a total number of fan predictions.
 15. Asystem for providing improved performance metrics by rating a player'sperformance in pressure situations, comprising: a processor; aninterface; and a memory storing instructions executable by the processorto perform processes that include: receiving, over a computer networkvia the interface from at least one information source, informationabout at least one situation associated with a player, the interfaceconfigured to receive the information from one or more of the followingsources: a) game statistics provider devices, b) interactive TVs, c)mobile phones, d) text messages, e) telephones, f) websites, g) sportingorganization devices, and h) fantasy sporting organization devices;receiving in real-time, from a plurality of user devices over thecomputer network, a plurality of fan ratings for the at least onesituation in real-time, each fan rating including (1) a rating whetherthe at least one situation is a pressure situation and (2) a rating of aperformance of the player; in a first computer process of the system,comparing in real-time a percentage of fan ratings deeming the at leastone situation to be a pressure situation against a threshold todetermine whether the at least one situation is a pressure situation; ina second computer process of the system, if the at least one situationsis determined to be a pressure situation, updating in real-time at leastone of (1) a pressure average of the player based on a number ofpositive pressure contributions by the player and a number of pressuresituations associated with the player and (2) a pressure rating of theplayer based on a summation of a value multiplied by an average fanrating of the performance of the player in the inning for each pressuresituation; and communicating in real-time, over the computer network toa plurality of servers hosting websites and application services, thewebsites and application services configured to be accessed by theplurality of user devices of the fans, at least one of the updatedpressure average or pressure rating if the at least one situations isdetermined to be a pressure situation.
 16. A system according to claim15, wherein calculating at least one pressure situation statistic forthe player further comprises: determining for each pressure situationwhether the player positively contributed during the pressure situationand tabulating total positive contributions; and determining a pressureaverage by comparing the total positive contributions to the totalpressure situations for the player.
 17. A system according to claim 15,wherein the pressure situation statistic is a pressure rating; andwherein calculating at least one pressure situation statistic for theplayer further comprises: in a third computer process, averaging theplurality of fan ratings for each pressure situation; in a fourthcomputer process, determining a product for each pressure situation bymultiplying the average fan rating for each situation by a value factor,the inning rating factor based, at least in part, on timing associatedwith the situation; and in a fifth computer process, calculating thepressure rating by summing the products for each pressure situation. 18.A system according to claim 15, wherein the memory further storesinstructions executable by the processor to perform processes thatinclude: receiving at least one fan prediction for an situation, the atleast one prediction predicting whether a player will contributepositively or negatively during the situation; receiving at least onefan prediction for an situation, the at least one prediction predictingwhether a player will contribute positively or negatively during thesituation; wherein the pressure situation statistic is a pressurepredictor; wherein calculating at least one pressure situation statisticfurther comprises: in a third computer process, determining whether theplayer contributed positively or negatively during the situationassociated with the at least one fan prediction; in a fourth computerprocess, determining whether the at least one fan prediction is correctand tabulating a total number of correct fan predictions; and in a fifthcomputer process, calculating a pressure predictor by dividing the totalnumber of correct fan predictions by a total number of fan predictions.